Tails From the Dugout

Greg Bowman Where would the Tigers be this season without Justin Verlander? Certainly not competing for first place in the American League Central. He’s 7 and 0 in his last nine games, and has thrown […]

How long has it been since the Tigers had a share of First Place in the American League Central Division? A long time. July of last season, to be exact. It’s been a long, steady climb, with the Tigers winning 10 out of their last 14, while the Indians have been fading fast, dropping ten out of their last 14.

After Tampa Bay comes in to play a make up game with the Tigers….the Cleveland Indians come in for a 3 game series. The Tribe have now lost 9 of their last 11 and Detroit has a golden opportunity to put some distance between the two teams.

A 4-2 road trip against two hot teams. Now that’s what I call a good trip. With the exception of the final game..The Tigers finally found their offense and everyone contributed…from Miguel Cabrera to Casper Wells. There is one small cloud however…What to do with Magglio Ordonez???

Don’t look now, but the Tigers are only two and a half games behind first place Cleveland, as the Indians have been fading after their torrid start. With the Twins apparently dead and buried, and the White Sox looking very vulnerable, the Tigers have a decent chance of winning the Central Division Race.

As the weather warms up….it appears some Tiger hitters are as well. It’s not just Victor Martinez that is producing, but you can add several more, from Miguel Cabrera to Andy Dirks, to Ryan Raburn. Whoa….did I say Ryan Raburn????

A 6 and 3 home stand….and a 4 game winning streak. What a homestand, with the exception of the Red Sox series. incredibly the Tigers have beaten the Twins in 9 straight. But don’t be fooled. These are not the same Twins of recent years….the worst pitching staff in the American League, injuries to key players like Joe Mauer to name just a few. So don’t get too carried away.

The Tigers continue to do their Jekyl and Hyde act, sometimes looking like a team with its eye on the post-season prize, and other times falling flat. Are the Tigers just a .500 team then, the record they finished with last season? Or are they just teasing us before getting their act together?

2011 has been the year of The Streak for the Tigers. No, I don’t mean they’ve been recreating the streaking craze of the 70’s when people for some reason decided (often with the help of alcohol) that it would be a good idea to run through streets and sports stadiums without the benefit of clothing. I’m talking about winning and losing streaks. The Tigers have already lost seven in a row this season, then turned around and won seven in a row, followed by another five straight losses.

It took awhile but one of the big parts of the Tiger turnaround has been the starting pitching. Justin Verlander is the Ace, so much is expected from him but the others seem to have taken the baton and have run with it.

There’s something very special about what happened in Toronto on Saturday. Justin Verlander threw a no-hitter, the second of his career and just the seventh ever by a Tiger pitcher. That’s pretty amazing when you think about it, considering that the Tigers have been around for 110 years and have played at least 154 games in each of those seasons. That’s about 17 thousand games if my math is correct.

When England prevailed in the Battle of Britain, Winston Churchill told the nation…”This is not the end, or the beginning of the end….but it is the end of the beginning.” That’s how I feel about the Tigers beating the Yankees 3 out of 4.

The start of this season has been a mystery, not just for Tiger fans, but for other teams as well. The whole Baseball World has been turned upside down with the Cleveland Indians riding high in first place in the American League Central, after a weekend sweep of the Tigers

After 16 games, Tiger pitchers are putting up some pretty impressive numbers. Unfortunately, the same thing can not be said for the hitters. And that’s why the Tigers have a so-so record of seven and nine.

It’s a long season. It’s only nine games. There are still 153 to go. All those things are true, and good to keep in mind. But that doesn’t keep me from being disappointed by the Tigers start this season.

Visualize if you will….it’s early October…..and Miguel Cabrera is a candidate for AL MVP, Justin Verlander is a shoo-in for the Cy Young Award, and Magglio Ordonez will be Comeback Player of the Year. While all of that is going on…the Tigers are getting ready for the playoffs after winning the Central Division title.